Elizabeth Flood Morrow

Loudonville-Elizabeth Gaucas Flood Morrow, a trailblazing woman journalist who spent seven decades covering the New York State Legislature, died Wednesday at Memorial Hospital following a brief illness. She was 83. Betty was the daughter of B. Ralph Gaucas and Mary Ann Reid Gaucas of Albany. She was predeceased by her husband Gerald Morrow, an Albany food broker and businessman; her brothers John and Joseph Gaucas; and sisters, Ann Gaucas Crounse, Alice Gaucas Barnes and Catherine Gaucas. She is survived by a nephew, James R. Gaucas. She was a graduate of the Academy of Holy Names and attended Russell Sage College. Betty was a mentor to countless young women who worked in her office as legislative correspondents at Cuyler News Service, and was a fixture in the Capitol as the longest tenured Albany journalist. She began by covering Governor Averell Harriman in 1957 and continued to come to work at the Capitol pressroom until two weeks ago. She covered the administrations of nine successive governors, including both Gov. Mario Cuomo and his son Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Her profiles included a 1981 New York magazine cover story "The Governor's Lady," about Gov. Hugh Carey's wife Evangeline. Betty was a sharp questioner of politicians at press conferences. In April, she was among the reporters packed shoulder-to-shoulder in a cramped press pen at Donald Trump's raucous pre-primary rally that filled the Times Union Center. She worked as a reporter for years at the Capitol before women were permitted to become members of the Legislative Correspondents Association, primarily writing for financial and trade publications. She was interviewed by The New York Times in 2008 for a story on the hard times the news business was beginning to experience. “I worked for The American Banker. Gone,” she told the Times. "I worked for The Bond Buyer. They’re gone, too." Betty’s stories filled the pages of various publications including Women's Wear Daily, W, Palm Beach Society, the Daily Racing Form, Reuters, the Insurance Advocate, and Empire State Report. She also chronicled the Saratoga social scene in August and made many lifelong friendships as a result. In 1966, Betty co-founded the Women's Press Club of New York. The group advances the professional interests of women in the media and communications professions, and awards scholarships to aspiring women journalists. She was inducted into the Press Club’s Hall of Fame and she sponsored a scholarship for aspiring female college journalists. . After starting the club, she organized a public debate and scholarship fundraiser in 1971 on the topic of "Women's Liberation -- What Else?" with Barney Fowler, a columnist for the Times Union who was introduced as "a leading male chauvinist of the Albany press corps." His debate opponent was author Betty Friedan, the co-founder and first president of the National Organization for Women. She was a patron of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame and helped restore Ten Broeck Mansion in Albany. She served on the boards of the Visiting Nurses Foundation and her alma mater, Holy Names. In addition to her passion for news, Betty was an avid antiques dealer, buying and selling pieces right up until she was hospitalized. Her love of antiques was sparked by a gift from her sister Catherine and led her to hundreds of shows across the Northeast and South. In recent years she moved her shop from Kinderhook to Ballston Spa. A Mass of Christian burial will be held at St. Pius Church, Loudonville, on Tuesday, December 20th, at 10:30 a.m. Friends are invited to call on Monday, December 19th at McVeigh Funeral Home, 208 North Allen Street, Albany from 4 to 7 p.m. To leave a special message, please visit www.McveighFuneralHome.com

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Elizabeth Flood Morrow

April 6, 1933 - December 14, 2016